Medical & Dental Opportunities

Serving part-time in the Navy Reserve allows you to pursue the advantages of civilian life while enjoying the camaraderie, challenges, and many benefits the military offers. Whether or not you have prior service in the military, as a Navy Reservist, you will proudly serve your country as you increase your overall opportunities for success. In exchange, you’ll be rewarded with benefits designed to help you succeed in both your military and civilian lives.

Medical and Dental in the Navy Reserve
Save a Sailor’s life. Make a Marine smile again. This is your life as a Hospital Corpsman or Dental Technician in the Navy Reserve. In these roles, you will make a better life for yourself as you take care of the people who take care of our country.

You will also undergo medical training that is unrivaled in the civilian world. Individuals in this community are highly regarded and generally carry more duties and responsibilities than their civilian counterparts. As a Hospital Corpsman, your responsibilities might include providing emergency medical treatment, transporting sick and injured personnel, or working in the field with Special Forces, the Seabees, or the Marine Corps. As a Dental Technician, you could assist in emergency dental first aid, and qualified technicians may be assigned to a Fleet Marine Force or Seabee unit.

Jobs in this field include:
Dental Technician
Hospital Corpsman

As part of this occupational specialty, you could:



Help prevent and treat diseases and injuries

Render emergency medical treatment

Administer medications, including injections

Take and process X-rays and operate X-ray equipment

Serve as an operating room technician for general and specialized surgery

Operate sophisticated medical diagnostic treatment equipment

Assist dental-care professionals in providing dental care to Navy personnel and their families

Expose and process dental X-rays

Render emergency dental first aid

Assist in oral surgery

Construct dental crowns and bridges

Maintain dental treatment records

Specialize in a number of fields, including radiology, search-and-rescue, optical, and preventive medicineAdvanced Training & Certification
Working with an air squadron, Special Forces, or in a hospital or clinic, the advanced medical or dental training you receive in the Navy Reserve prepares you for numerous specialties. You may have the opportunity to earn Department of Labor certification allowing you to work as an emergency medical technician (EMT) or a dental laboratory technician. Your training might also prepare you to be, or enhance your current career as, a surgical technician, respiratory therapist, nuclear medical technologist, physical therapist’s assistant, pharmacist’s assistant, dental assistant, medical records clerk, or dental hygienist.

Most on-the-job training in the medical and dental field directly translates to credit at colleges and universities. Advanced technical and operational training is also available in many specialized fields. The Navy National Apprenticeship Program gives Navy Reserve members the opportunity to receive a national Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship for dental assistant, dental prosthetic technician, and dental equipment repair technician trades.

Duties and responsibilities directly translate to careers in the civilian medical and dental fields. As long as people need medical and dental services, individuals with skills in these areas will be in high demand.To learn how you can become a Dental Technician or Hospital Corpsman in the Navy Reserve, contact your local